Global Citizen contributors have written a lot about the migrant crisis happening in Europe. My colleagues have recently explored harmful myths about migrants, personal migrant narratives (this one fictional but illuminating) and how migrants have a lot in common with the people whose country they enter.

I’ve written about how the term “illegal” has no place in immigrant discussions and whether the “migrant crisis” is really as economically stressful as some European countries claim.

These pieces have all dealt with the tough situations migrants face. Many of them feel inescapably exiled. Many have fled their homes due to severe poverty or imminent danger hoping to find a better life only to be ostracized or repelled by the country they land in.

If you’ve followed the situation in the news over the past year, its understandable if you think that the migrants are an insupportable burden on Europe: that’s the narrative that’s being pushed.

But this narrative needs to be challenged. Instead of clamoring about how the migrants are an invading force, people should begin to treat them as fellow human beings who need a helping hand, who want to (and can) be valuable citizens.

Countries should be helping them adjust to their new environments, making them feel at home. The migrant situation is not going away. So help the newcomers adapt and realize their fullest potential.

This spirit of fellowship was recently on display in Germany.

A busload of Syrian refugees was welcomed by a cheering crowd. People held friendly signs, smiled and waved and warmed the hearts of passengers who must have felt at least slightly apprehensive upon entering a new country.

Imagine if all migrants and refugees were treated with this kind of joy.

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